Covid deadliest hotspots
Towns worst hit by virus are revealed in study by health chiefs
SCOTLAND’S deadliest Covid-19 hotspot has been revealed in a study carried out by health chiefs.
People living in the Fullarton area of Irvine, Ayrshire, are more likely to die and become seriously ill after catching coronavirus than in any other area in Scotland, according to a league table published by the Scottish Public Health Observatory.
Others most likely to die or suffer severe illness include people living in Greenock, in Renfrewshire, Saltcoats, in Ayrshire, Carntyne, in Glasgow, and Motherwell, in Lanarkshire.
Those most likely to survive or to suffer less serious effects of the virus are those living in the affluent areas of Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Dunfermline, in Fife.
North Ayrshire was named as the most vulnerable local authority area for Covid-19 sufferers to live in while the City of Edinburgh is least.
The government body based its findings on a community vulnerability index that measured medical, social, economic and other demographic factors to calculate areas at the greatest and least risk.
In his annual report, published this week, Scotland’s chief medical officer, Dr Gregor Smith, said the pandemic has widened the health inequality gap.
He said that those living in the most deprived 20 per cent of areas are, on average, more than
‘Exposed the vulnerability of some of our population’
twice as likely to die from Covid-19 than those living in the least deprived 20 per cent of areas.
According to the report, people who have been shielding, those living alone and single parents have suffered greater social isolation since the pandemic struck.
It added low-skilled workers have borne the brunt of its economic impacts, through unemployment, underemployment and income loss.
Black and minority ethnic groups have seen higher mortality rates than white people while children, young people and young adults are likely to have been disproportionately impacted by disruption to education and the loss of employment in the hospitality sector.
The report – entitled Restore, Recover, Renew – said: ‘Prior to the pandemic, there were already marked inequalities across many domains in our society, including income, wealth, living standards, labour market participation, health, education and life chances.
‘Emerging evidence suggests Covid has exacerbated many preexisting inequalities and exposed the vulnerability of some of our population to adverse shocks.’
Scottish Conservative candidate for Cunninghame South David Rocks said: ‘It is absolutely tragic to see these communities in North Ayrshire are at more risk of Covid than anywhere else in Scotland.
‘My thoughts are with anyone who has lost a loved one or has suffered with this horrific virus. Where you live or how much you earn should simply not have any bearing on how at risk you are to Covid.
‘Throughout the pandemic, the SNP has been slow to get support out to individuals who have desperately needed it. This may have potentially meant certain individuals in these communities taking unnecessary risks to maintain their income or support their family.
‘As we continue to try to curtail the spread of the virus in our communities while also opening up our economy, SNP ministers must guarantee that proper support will be in place for those living in our more deprived communities.’
Craig Hatton, chief executive of North Ayrshire Council, said: ‘We have worked tirelessly throughout the pandemic to ensure our communities, and particularly those most vulnerable or at risk from Covid-19, are supported.
‘This pandemic has been incredibly difficult for us all but what has shone through here in North Ayrshire is the resilience of our communities.
‘We recognise the impact poverty and deprivation has on people’s health and we are working tirelessly to improve the health outcomes for our citizens.
‘There is a great deal work going on and we are working with a range of community partners to make a significant difference for communities across North Ayrshire.’
Mr Hatton added: ‘We were [among] the first in Scotland to provide free school meals during the holidays, and also led the way in offering period products in schools and then public buildings in North Ayrshire.
‘We are also looking at various things including reducing the cost of the school day for families and making good, healthy food more accessible to all families.’
Dr Smith’s report also revealed that, in the first three months of the pandemic, around one-fifth of excess deaths in Scotland were not caused by Covid-19.
Instead, they were a result of people’s failure to report serious illnesses for fear of catching the virus in hospitals.
In addition, it pointed to the unintended consequences of measures taken to control its spread, including the halting of screening programmes. The report said:
‘Throughout the pandemic we have been concerned people with symptoms and conditions unrelated to Covid-19 requiring urgent attention – such as those associated with strokes and heart attacks, have not sought our help.
‘There are also concerns that pauses in national screening programmes might cause delayed or missed diagnoses of cancer.’
It went on: ‘There were substantially fewer referrals for outpatient appointments and mental health services between April and June.’
The report also warned that people were still putting their lives at risk by failing to report illnesses, particularly symptoms that may be related to cancer.
It said: ‘Despite our considerable efforts to persuade people who need medical attention to access services, there appears to be hesitancy from a portion of the general public to seek non Covid-19 healthcare treatment.
‘Evidence suggests that since the end of October to the present, between 24-33 per cent of the general public surveyed “agreed” or “strongly agreed” that they would avoid contacting a GP practice at the moment, even if they had an immediate medical concern.
‘This is also reflected in the ongoing lower use of services than we would expect in, for example, relation to cancer services.’